Love, Sweet Love
by Matty06
Summary: What happens when Abby returns to Chicago after 16 years? (Carby!) Also, I reposted Ch. 6 because it was all smooshed together!
1. Home Sweet Home

Disclaimer: If I owned them, would I be writing this? Nope, I would be making them reenact my favorite scenes.  
  
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"Mama! Hurry up, we promised Aunt Susie we'd be in Chicago two hours ago."  
  
"Wait...Christie, how do I look?" Mom twirled around so I could check out her outfit.  
  
"Stop worrying about seeing Carter!" She looked at me, pleading for an answer. "You look great mom" She smiled, and I knew that's just what she wanted to hear. "Can we go now?"  
  
"Yes, and I'm not worried about seeing Carter" Wow, I didn't know it was okay for parents to lie to their children. It didn't matter though, I knew how nervous she was about going to Chicago after sixteen years, so if she needed to lie to me to make herself feel better, I was okay with that.  
  
We checked out of the motel and made our way to Chicago.  
  
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When we pulled up to aunt Susan's house, I felt excitement take over. I hadn't seen her in nearly six months, which seemed like an eternity considering how close she was to mom and me. She'd practically helped raise me. She even lived in New York with us the first two years of my life. Then when she moved back to Chicago, she would come to visit us every chance she got. I sighed thinking of New York...we left so much behind there.  
  
"You okay?" I must have had that 'homesick' look on my face. Mom said she's never seen me look so sad. The truth is though, being here changes everything.  
  
"Never better" I smiled and knocked on the door. The door flew up and aunt Susan enveloped us in the biggest hug ever. Truthfully, I couldn't breath but I didn't want to spoil the moment. When she finally let us go she pulled us inside. The heat from the house hit my face and in some weird, yet comforting way I felt at home here.  
  
"How was your trip?" Aunt Susan was grinning from ear to ear and it made me giggle.  
  
"Oh it was one fun party, let me tell you...driving for hours in a small car. It's great Sus, you should try it sometime." Ah, that's my mom. Always having some sarcastic remark.  
  
Susan chuckled. "I missed you Abby." I can't remember the last time I was in a room filled with this much happiness. "Are you two hungry? We could go out to eat and then maybe...stop by County." Then I remembered why we were here. Susan told mom that there was an opening for a nurse at County. She was on the phone with mom for hours begging her to at least consider it. I knew mom wanted to come back here more than anything. She hasn't been here in sixteen years, not even for a visit. So I talked her into coming back.  
  
"Sure, that sounds great" I didn't wait for mom to answer, I knew she would say that she didn't want to stop by the hospital tonight, but I wanted to meet the people from mom's past. I looked over at her and she gave me her death glare. The one she gave me when I got in trouble. I stuck my tongue out at her and put my coat back on.  
  
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"So does Carter know mom's back?" I needed something to break the silence that filled the car on the way to County. I didn't even know Carter. I just knew of him. That mom and Carter used to date a long time ago, then he went to Africa, and mom moved to New York. Oh and I also knew that she was hopelessy in love with him.  
  
"No he doesn't know I'm back, does he?" Mom asked turning to Susan.  
  
"No, he doesn't know anything except that you moved away when he was in Africa, he thinks we lost touch" Things just got confusing.  
  
"Why doesn't he know anything?" I had to ask, even though I probably wasn't suppose to know. I love how aunt Susan always lets the stuff I'm not suppose to know slip on 'accident'.  
  
"Your mom told me not to tell him, or anyone else for that matter. She wanted to get away from here completely." She did it again.  
  
"Okay, stop talking like I'm not here."  
  
"Well we wouldn't have to if you would tell me these things mom." There was that death glare again. It's a good thing we arrived at the hospital before things got crazy. I'm pretty sure I jumped out of the car in record time.  
  
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The ER was packed. Doctors, nurses, and med students were running around like chickens with their heads cut off. Ha, who says THAT anymore? I guess I do.  
  
"Mom, where's the restrooms?" Okay, so I don't care about the restrooms. I just want to wander around a little bit.  
  
"Over there." She wasn't even paying attention. She just instinctively pointed to where the restrooms were.  
  
I walked off, peeking into the rooms I passed. "Ouch!" Some idiot just knocked me down.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry Miss" Okay...so maybe he's not exactly an idiot, he was a doctor. He was good looking too, with an accent. He reached out his hand to help me up. Okay, now he's staring at me like I'm a ghost.  
  
"Don't worry about it Doctor..." I look over at his nametag as he helps me up. "Doctor Kovac." He's still staring and I'll admit, I'm a bit freaked out. "Doctor, I don't mean to be rude, but you keep staring at me and it's making me a bit...nervous." He smiled at me.  
  
"Oh I'm so sorry. You just look so much like someone that used to work here"  
  
"Who?" I ask, knowing very well it was my mom he was referring to.  
  
"Her name was Abby Lockhart. She was a nurse here."  
  
"Oh, well I can explain that. She's my mother." Oh I wanna laugh so hard at the expression on his face. I refrain though, I didn't need these strangers who I was bound to see all the time, thinking I was crazy.  
  
"She's right over there if you want to see her" I pointed to where mom and aunt Susan were standing. "It was nice meeting you Doctor Kovac"  
  
He nodded at me. "You to...I'm sorry I didn't get your name"  
  
"I didn't give it, but it's Christina" I smile and walk away.  
  
So now I'm thinking that trip to the restroom is a good idea after all. I definitely drank too much soda at dinner. A woman was coming out as I was going in. She stopped and looked at me. Great, another one's looking at me like I'm a ghost. I find that a bit rude actually. Eh, I might as well have some fun.  
  
"Abby?" Whoa, I know I look A LOT like my mom, but no one has ever thought I was her. I'm a little shorter, and I have my father's eyes.  
  
"No, my name is Christina, Abby's my mom"  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry...you just look so much like her"  
  
I smiled at the woman. " It's okay, I'm used to it."  
  
"Is Abby here?"  
  
"Yeah, she's right outside with Susan" Go talk to her so I can go to the restroom lady.  
  
"Thanks Christina. By the way I'm Kerry" What? This is the mean bitch mom was always making fun of with aunt Susie? There's no way.  
  
"Nice to meet you" I smile and shake her hand. She walks out of the bathroom and probably goes to see mom.  
  
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I walk out of the restroom and see mom standing, talking with a few of her old friends and coworkers. I glance around and catch the eye of another doctor. The people here have serious staring issues.  
  
"Let me guess, I look like someone that used to work here?"  
  
"Yeah...she was a nurse"  
  
"Abby Lockhart?"  
  
"Yeah, that's her"  
  
"She's my mother" Wow this guy turned so white when I said that. I hope he's alright.  
  
"Your...mother?" I nod. I wonder who this guy is. He's handsome, maybe he used to date mom back in the day. Oh...this must be Carter.  
  
"Are you John Carter?" I have to know. He nodded. He must be having trouble trying to form words.  
  
"I'm Christina" I stick out my hand and he shakes it.  
  
"Nice to meet you." He smiled at me. Mom always said he has an amazing smile. She was right. "Is your mom here?"  
  
"Yeah she's right over there" I point to where she's standing and watch as Carter slowly makes his way over there. I follow him over to her.  
  
Most of the people standing around mom were people I had already met...well ran into anyway. Aunt Susan saw me, and motioned for me to come over to her.  
  
"Hey sweetie" Mom smiled at me. She seemed so happy to be back here, I could tell she felt at home here, surrounded by these people that were once her close friends. "This is my daughter Christina." They all nodded. "Wow, I thought you would all be more shocked. This place sure has changed"  
  
"I had time to get over the shock." There was Doctor Kovac again with his sexy accent. Did I just think he was sexy? He's like...my mother's age. Ick. "We met a few minutes ago." Well you knocked me over actually, but whatever.  
  
"I met her too." Kerry spoke up. Why does everyone think she's so mean? She seems pretty decent to me. "Gallant, quit standing around and go help out in trauma 2!" Okay now I get it, but still if there's a trauma, shouldn't he be in there...saving a life?  
  
I heard Carter clear his throat. I don't think mom acknowledged him yet because she was obviously shocked when she looked over at him. "I met her too." He made eye contact with mom. It was a pretty intense moment.  
  
"I didn't meet her" Wow, who is this guy and why is he so attractive? Mom didn't break eye contact from Carter. I wonder if she even heard this guy talk. How could she not? His voice was so nice.  
  
"I'm Greg Pratt." I think I'm probably blushing, but I try to ignore it. I gladly shake his hand.  
  
"Nice to meet you Doctor Pratt." He smiles at me, and I think my heart melts.  
  
"Well" Susan speaks up. "We should be going, Abby's first day back starts early in the morning."  
  
"You're coming back here to work?" Carter was still gazing into mom's eyes. Good job Sus, you just broke the mood for them.  
  
"Yeah, I am." Carter grinned at mom.  
  
"It'll be great to have you back" Oh please, would you just kiss her already? Mom smiled and said her goodbyes to everyone. She couldn't stop smiling at Carter though. It was pretty adorable.  
  
This was definitely the start of something very interesting. Maybe living in Chicago wouldn't be so bad after all.  
  
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Okay if you want more, I'm going to need some reviews. :) 


	2. Surprising Revelations

Disclaimer: I keep them locked in a closet and let them out on the weekends.  
  
Thanks to everyone that left a review!  
  
This chapter is going to be done from Abby's point of view.  
  
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The alarm clock goes off, and I sigh. I know this will probably be the longest day of my life. At least I get to spend it with Carter. I giggle to myself. I shouldn't be thinking of Carter that way anymore. He's probably happily married with kids, not including the one he doesn't know about. Maybe he's not though. What are you gonna do if he's not anyways? Nothing. You're a chicken Abby, you could never tell him how you still feel about him. Am I debating with myself? It's too early in the morning for this. I don't need a headache before I get to work.  
  
After about five minutes of arguing with myself about Carter, I finally make my way to the kitchen.  
  
"Morning mom" Christina smiles and looks up with me with those beautiful brown eyes. Just like Carter's. I know if I told him that she was his daughter, he would be thrilled. That's not what I'm worried about. I'm worried about him.taking her away from me out of spite, because I waited sixteen years to tell him he had a daughter. She's been my everything since the day she was born, and I don't know what I would do without her.  
  
"Morning" I get a cup of coffee and sit down next to her.  
  
"Are you going to take me to the high school today to get me registered and everything?" Great, I completely forgot about that, I should've told Kerry I'd start tomorrow.  
  
"I really don't have time today, can you wait until Monday?" What a stupid question to ask a teenager, she would wait a month if I asked.  
  
"Definitely." She smiled. Ugh, she even reminds me of Carter when she smiles. I don't understand why this is bothering me so much now. I've always known she had his eyes, and his smile. Now that we're here though, I feel like they have the right to know. They should get to know each other, and bond. Be like.father and daughter. He could call her princess, and spoil her with pretty things. She deserves that, and so does he.  
  
"Ready for your first day back?" Susan asks breaking me from my thoughts, which I'm eternally grateful for. I don't need to burst into tears over this while Christina is at the table.  
  
"If you had been gone for sixteen years, and came back, would you be ready?"  
  
"You're right, I guess that's something you could never be ready for."  
  
Christina's cell phone rings and she goes to answer it. Who would be calling her at 8:00 in the morning? It must be Jason, her boyfriend. That girl is head over heels for him. Seeing her so happy about being in love, makes me want to be in love too. How crazy is that? I'm jealous of my own daughter.  
  
"So are you going to tell Carter that Christie is his?" Is she insane?  
  
"Yeah, because that's what I want to do on my first day back, give Carter a heart attack."  
  
"Abby, he needs to know." Thanks for stating the obvious Sus.  
  
"Well he doesn't have to know today, he's gone sixteen years without knowing, what's another day?"  
  
"Abby, if he spends enough time with her, he'll figure it out for himself." She's right. It was times like these that made me wish Christina was more like me.  
  
"Then we won't let them spend any time together."  
  
"Abby.if you don't tell him, I will." Since when is any of this her business? I guess since I told her.  
  
"Susan, I've only been back for a day, can't I at least wait until tomorrow to tell him?" Or the next day.  
  
"Do whatever you want, but just remember that this isn't just about you, it's about Carter and the daughter you have together too." I hate it when she's right.  
  
"I have to get ready for work." I excuse myself from the table, and the conversation to go get ready.  
  
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Well, I've been here for two hours, and I have to admit, I've done a pretty good job avoiding Carter. It's not that I don't want to see him, because I do. I'm just afraid I'll break down and tell him everything. This really isn't the place for that.  
  
"Hey Abby" So much for avoiding him all day.  
  
"Carter.hey" He flashes that amazing smile, and all I can think of is kissing him.  
  
"How's your first day back goin'?"  
  
"Oh just great, I've been thrown up on twice already." Oh that's real attractive Abby. Get away. Get away from him now. His pager goes off, and I silently thank God for that.  
  
"I'll see you later Ab." He smiles at me again and walks off.  
  
I walk into the lounge so I can sit down and rest for a minute. That's where I find Susan and Luka making out in the middle of the room. I don't think I've been this shocked since I found out I was pregnant. I don't want to interrupt the moment, but I also don't want them to start going at it right here. So I clear my throat, hoping to make my presence known. It seemed to work, they jump away from eachother.  
  
"Am I interrupting?" I ask, giving Susan a wink. She rolls her eyes at me.  
  
"I have to get back to work." Luka leaves the room, but not without turning to wave to Susan.  
  
"So what's the deal with you and Luka?" Hey if she can pry into my personal issues, I should get to do the same.  
  
"Nothing." Yeah, right.  
  
"You're making out with him, in the middle of the lounge, and there's nothing going on?"  
  
"That's right."  
  
"Susan."  
  
"Okay, okay. We're not dating sometimes we just.make out." Oh, I wanna laugh.  
  
"Here?"  
  
"Here, at his apartment.at the house."  
  
"Are you sleeping with him?" That's a given, I just want to know if she'll admit it.  
  
"No."  
  
"Are you lying to me?"  
  
"Yes." Ha, I knew it.  
  
"How could you not tell me about this?!"  
  
"How could you not tell Carter he has a sixteen year old daughter?" Okay, I walked right into that one.  
  
"Hey that's different! You're sleeping with my ex boyfriend."  
  
"At least it's not Carter, and do you have a problem with this, because I'll put an end to it right now."  
  
"Susan, It's okay. I've been over him for years." She looks relieved. I wonder what she would've done if I said I had a problem with it.  
  
"I have to get back to work."  
  
"On patients or Luka?" There's that eye roll again.  
  
"Abby, promise me you won't tell anyone."  
  
"I won't." Except for Christina.  
  
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Well, my first day is finally over. I managed to avoid Carter for the rest of the day. I should pat myself on the back.  
  
"Abby." Damn it. Just when I think I did a good job.  
  
"Hey Carter."  
  
"Is your shift over?" No, I'm leaving right in the middle of it.  
  
"Yeah, I was just on my way out."  
  
"Do you want to get dinner with me tonight? It'd be great to catch up."  
  
"I would love to, but I have to get home to Christina."  
  
"Well I could take you both out." Oh no. No way. If he spends more than five minutes with that girl he'll know she's his. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad though, letting them find out on their own. Who am I kidding? That would be awful.  
  
"I don't know."  
  
"Come on Abby." He's not backing down.  
  
"Pick us up at Susan's in an hour."  
  
"Okay, see ya later." He smiles at me, and then I turn around to leave.  
  
I run into the house to get ready for my date with Carter. Wait, this isn't a date. He's taking our daughter and me out for dinner. He just wants to catch up.  
  
"Christina!" She better be here, I'm not going to dinner alone with Carter.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Go get ready, we're going out to dinner with Carter."  
  
"I'm going on your date?"  
  
"It's not a date. It's just two friends catching up."  
  
"Where do I fit into all of this?" Wow, that's a long story. Oh, she means dinner.  
  
"Well I tried getting out of it by telling him I had to get home to you, and he offered to take us both out." We walk into our rooms to get ready. "Hey remember Luka, that doctor you met last night?" I can't forget to tell her about that make out session he had with Susan.  
  
"Yeah, what about him?"  
  
"I walked into the lounge this morning and caught him making out with Susan." I can hear her giggle from in the next room. "They've been sleeping together." By now, I'm changed into a pair of jeans and a sweater. I walk into the bathroom to do my make up, but Christina's already in there doing hers.  
  
"What? They've been sleeping together and she didn't tell us?"  
  
"Nope. I think she was afraid I would be upset."  
  
"Why would you care?"  
  
"I dated Luka a long time ago. Before Carter."  
  
"Wow mom, I'm so proud of you. You have great taste in men." The doorbell rang and I knew it was Carter.  
  
"Could you get that?" I'm not ready to see him just yet.  
  
"Nervous?" I nod, and she goes to answer the door.  
  
Nervous.that has got to be the understatement of the year. I'm beyond nervous. I'm terrified. This could be the night that they both find out the truth and I don't think I'm ready for that. Susan was right though. This isn't just about me.  
  
"Hi Doctor Carter." I hear her say as she lets him in.  
  
"Please, call me Carter." How about dad, can she call you that?  
  
"Mom should be ready in just a minute Carter." I better get out there.  
  
When I walk out into the living room, I see my daughter sitting on the couch talking to her father. I never thought I would see them together. I wish I could take a picture, to remember this moment.  
  
"You look happy." I hear Christina say to me. I must have been grinning like a fool at the sight of them. "Are you ready to go?"  
  
"Yeah." Well this is it, there's no turning back now.  
  
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"So Christina, were you a cheerleader or anything at your old school?" Yeah right, my daughter.a cheerleader. Good one Carter.  
  
"No, I played on the girls varsity basketball team." We're in the car on the way home from dinner. Things went surprisingly well. They talked, they bonded, and they had no idea they were related.  
  
We pulled into Susan's driveway, and Luka's car was parked on the street. Christina and I couldn't help but laugh.  
  
"What's so funny?" Carter probably thought we were crazy.  
  
"I'm not allowed to say anything."  
  
"Aunt Susan and Luka have been sleeping together." I looked at Christina who was sitting in the backseat.  
  
"You didn't say I wasn't allowed to tell anybody!" Good point.  
  
"Well Carter, thanks for dinner." I look over at him and smile.  
  
"Do you two want to go out again tomorrow night?" I glance over and Christina and she nods.  
  
"Yeah, that'd be great. We'll see you tomorrow." Christina and I get out of the car and walk inside. Luka and Susan are nowhere to be found. Hm, I wonder where they could be.  
  
Christina walked into her bedroom to get ready for bed, and I went into mine. I was surprised to see her standing in my door way.  
  
"Mama, can I ask you something?" She sat on the edge of my bed.  
  
"Of course you can hon."  
  
"It's about Carter." I nod and she continues. "Is Carter my father?" Oh great.I was definitely not prepared for this. I take a deep breath before I speak.  
  
"Yeah baby, he's your dad."  
  
"Does he know?"  
  
"Not yet, I'll tell him tomorrow if you want me too."  
  
"No mom, take your time. Tell him when you're ready." Oh what did I do to deserve such an amazing daughter?  
  
"Thank you sweetheart." She kisses my cheek and leaves the room.  
  
Well all there was left to do now was tell Carter. How was I going to do that?  
  
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	3. Basketball and Boys

Disclaimer: This part always depresses me. I don't own them, never will.  
  
Thanks to everyone for the reviews!  
  
This part is from Christina's POV.   
  
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Carter's my dad. Wow. To say I was shocked would be an understatement. I've heard mom talk about him for years, but it never crossed my mind that he could be my father. Tonight at dinner is when I realized it. I looked into his eyes, and I knew. Mom always said I have eyes just like my dad. I do. I have a smile just like him too. Maybe it's stupid to be excited over these little things, but I can't help it. When you finally come face to face with your father after sixteen years, you can't help but get excited to know where you finally get your looks, or your personality traits.  
  
I slipped quietly out of my room and over to Mom's. I had a lot of questions, things I didn't know, and felt I needed to. I hoped she was still awake.  
  
"Mom?" I whispered into the darkness. "Are you awake?"  
  
"Uh, my room is right next to Susan's... and Luka is here, so what do you think?" I laughed and sat next to her on the bed.  
  
"Can we talk?"  
  
"Of course" She sat up and turned on the light.  
  
"I have some questions..mostly about Carter." She nodded, and I knew she was okay with my asking. "Why didn't you stay and wait for him to come back from Africa?"  
  
She let out a sigh and started explaining. "I asked him not to go, and he did. He didn't stay with me, and I thought that meant, he didn't want to be with me anymore. He'd only been gone two days when I found out I was pregnant. I thought about staying. I couldn't though. If he didn't want to be with me then I figured he wouldn't want to have a child with me. So I packed up my things and headed to New York. Susan came two weeks later."  
  
"He seems like the kind of guy who would love being a father." She just shrugged. Usually she doesn't have a hard time opening up to me, but I feel like she's holding back a lot of things tonight. "Why didn't you tell me about him a long time ago?"  
  
"I guess I just figured, you didn't really need to know if he wasn't around. I didn't want you to be angry with him. I didn't want you to think that he left you."  
  
"I think that everyone deserves to know who their father is, even if he isn't around. I also think that he didn't leave you, but I can see why you would think that."  
  
"Are you mad at me for not telling you sooner?"  
  
"No, but were you going to tell me at all?"  
  
"Yeah, eventually."  
  
"When do you think you'll tell Carter?" She looked around the room, everywhere. Any place but into my eyes. "You can take your time I just..can't wait to call him dad." She smiled at me and kissed my forehead. I went back to my room, feeling a little more at ease.  
  
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Ugh, I've definitely been waiting for over fifteen minutes to get into the bathroom. It's too early in the morning for this. Luka's gone, so there can't be anything going on in there. I'm laughing at that thought. Aunt Susan and Luka, such an unlikely yet adorable couple. They're not a couple though. They're 'friends with benefits'. That's such a high school thing to do. Finally, after what seems like a year of my life, Aunt Susan walks out of the bathroom. I practically run in there.  
  
I was brushing my hair and happened to look over in the direction of the trashcan. Now normally, I wouldn't give it a second glance, because well..it's a trashcan. I noticed a box sticking up from it though. Being the curious teenager I am, I have to check it out. So I pick up the box, and it's one of those home pregnancy tests. I know it's not mom's, and it's definitely not mine, I would remember something like that. It's got to be aunt Susan's. I wonder what the results were. My curiosity is getting the best of me again, and I peek inside the box. I want to know if it was positive or negative, but I'm not about to touch a stick that's been peed on. So I let the test fall into the trashcan, hoping that it lands on the right side. It does. The test is positive.  
  
There's going to be a new member to our dysfunctional, yet amazing family.  
  
Mom knocks on the door and I quickly throw the box back in there and cover it up. It was pretty much hidden before, so it's obvious we're not supposed to know yet. "Did you fall in?" Mom asks. I have been in here for a while. "Come on, I have to get ready for work." I quickly wipe the goofy grin off my face and open the door.  
  
"Sorry, I took a shower. Can't waste my first Saturday in a new city." It wasn't a complete lie. I did take a shower. I was only in there for about ten minutes though.  
  
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Well, I thought today would be a blast. I could spend the whole day checking out the new city that I now call home. I was lonely though. It's not as much fun if you can't share it with someone else. So I decided to stop by the hospital see what was going on there.  
  
Things seemed calmer than when I first came in here. I spotted my mom and Carter. Standing in a corner talking. I wondered if maybe she was telling him about me being his daughter. Yeah right, mom wouldn't do that here of all places. I make my way over to them.  
  
"Hey mom, hey Carter"  
  
"Hey, what are you doing here? I figured you'd be out on the town all day."  
  
"Mom..first of all, no one says 'out on the town anymore', and I got lonely."  
  
"Well, my break just started, so we'll go get lunch and I'll keep you company." She glanced over at Carter. "Do you wanna come with us John?"  
  
"I have to get back to work, but we're still going out tonight, right?" We both nodded and went to the cafeteria.  
  
Yum, hospital food. I grabbed a tray and followed my mom through the line. "So, what were you and Carter talking about when I showed up?"  
  
"Just a patient of his."  
  
"So you didn't happen to say anything like 'that kid of mine, she's yours too'?"  
  
"Yeah right, like I'd tell him here." Wimp, just do it and get it over with. I'll even do it, or have aunt Susie do it.  
  
"Maybe we could tell him tonight."  
  
"Uh..how about not?" We found a table and sat down.  
  
"Fine but you can't hide this forever."  
  
"I was doing pretty good until you found out." I roll my eyes. How could she not want to tell this man that he has a daughter? We went through lunch in almost complete silence. I was upset with her. I don't like being mad at my mother, but sometimes she just does stupid things and doesn't even realize it.  
  
"I should go, you probably need to get back to work"  
  
"Yeah, I'll see you at home. Be careful, I love you."  
  
"Bye." I left the hospital and walked around the city. I just wanted to be home at that very moment, back in New York. I thought things were going to be better here, but they're not all that different. I miss my family and my friends. Then, there's this great guy here, and he's not just someone I've heard my mom talk about all my life anymore. He's my father, and I can't even call him dad, because he has no idea.  
  
I walked into the house. No one was home yet, which was good. It gave me some time to get ready for tonight. The phone rang a few times, and I was going to let the answering machine get it, but the ringing was slowly driving me crazy.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Hey Christina, it's Carter."  
  
"Oh hey Carter."  
  
"Could you tell your mom that I can't make it tonight? Weaver's making me work late, and I didn't find out until your mom left." Eh, I didn't really want to go out tonight anyway.  
  
"Sure, I'll let her know."  
  
"Thanks." He mumbled bye and hung up the phone.  
  
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I was half asleep watching something on TV when aunt Susan walked in the door. I couldn't help but grin at her. I was so excited she was having a baby.  
  
"Are you drunk?" I laughed. I probably looked like an idiot grinning at her.  
  
"Nope" I paused. Deciding whether or not I should go on. " Are you pregnant?"  
  
"Uh..well...kind of. How did you know?"  
  
"I found the test in the bathroom, and my curiosity got the best of me" She sighed.  
  
"Does anyone else know?"  
  
"No, you hid the test so I figured no one was suppose to know yet." She looked relieved. "Is Luka the father?" Hey she didn't tell us she was sleeping with him, who knows what else she didn't tell us.  
  
"Well, who else would it be?"  
  
"I don't know, but that kid is going to be beautiful." She smiled. I knew she was happy about this. "So are you going to tell him, or be like mom and wait sixteen years?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"I know about Carter."  
  
"Does he know about you?"  
  
"Of course not."  
  
"She really needs to tell him."  
  
"Do you think she ever will?"  
  
"When she's ready, just give her time." Ah, aunt Susan to the rescue again. She always makes things better. Sometimes I wonder what I'd do without her.  
  
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It's been nearly two weeks since we've been in Chicago. Things are going pretty well. I love school here. I fit in well with everyone, which is a huge relief. I made friends with the guys, because here they're not afraid that if they talk to me, my boyfriend will beat them up. It's fun to have people to talk about basketball with.  
  
Mom still hasn't told Carter about me. Susan hasn't told Luka about their baby either. What is wrong with those two? How hard is it really to tell a man he's a father, or about to be one?  
  
I walked through the doors of the local YMCA. It felt so good to be on the basketball court again.  
  
"Hey Christina." Oh the cute guy from my biology class. Yay!  
  
"Hey Mark."  
  
"Wanna play a little one on one?" Hell yeah.  
  
"Sure." We play for about an hour, and I beat him 30-24.  
  
"You're pretty good, for a girl."  
  
"Yeah, well I've been playing since I could walk."  
  
"That's obvious."  
  
"Can you tell me how to get to the El? I haven't had a chance to take it yet, and I don't have enough money for a cab."  
  
"You don't want to ride the El alone this late in the evening."  
  
"I grew up in New York, this city doesn't scare me."  
  
"Let me give you a ride home."  
  
"Yeah, and what do you want in return?"  
  
"How about a date for tomorrow night?" Wow, I haven't been asked out since I started dating Jason.  
  
"I would love to, but I have a boyfriend."  
  
"Well then, how about a movie? You can, pay for your own ticket and the popcorn, it won't count as a date."  
  
"Alright." It's just a movie.  
  
We were sitting at a red light talking about the Lakers. I was actually having a good time with him. Was it okay for me to be having a good time with another guy? I hope so. The light turned green and he hit the gas. Someone came speeding through the light that had just turned red though, and the last thing I remember is being in a massive amount of pain.  
  
Then everything was black.  
  
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Want more? Well then I want some reviews! Woohoo! 


	4. Fathers and Daughters

Disclaimer: You know the drill. They're not mine, except the characters I make up!  
  
Thanks for the reviews!  
  
This chapter is from Carter's POV.  
  
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It was a slow night in the ER. I was pretty bored actually. Until two teenagers were wheeled in on gurneys.  
  
"What happened?" I asked the EMT.  
  
"Car crash, someone ran a red light, slammed into the passenger side." I looked down at the girl, and my heart sank. It was Christina. I knew Abby had gone home. I had to tell her. Susan was standing at the admit desk.  
  
"Susan!" I choked out. "Susan..it's Christina." As soon as I told her, she was at my side.  
  
"Go call Abby." She wheeled the girl into a trauma room.  
  
I dialed the number and the phone rang a few times before Abby finally picked up.  
  
"Hello?" She sounded like she had just woken up.  
  
"Abby.." I had trouble forming the words. I didn't know how to tell her.  
  
"Carter, what's wrong?"  
  
"It's Christina."  
  
"I'll be right there." She hung up the phone.  
  
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I was waiting for Abby to show up. There were so many doctors in the two trauma rooms, and Susan wouldn't let me either of them. She told me to wait for Abby. After waiting for almost ten minutes, Abby came bursting through the emergency room doors.  
  
"Where is she?"  
  
"She's in trauma one"  
  
"Is she okay?"  
  
"I don't know, they won't tell me anything."  
  
"Damn it Carter! Go find out!"  
  
"Okay, okay...just take a seat." She gave me a look that said 'bite me' as I walked down the hall.  
  
"John wait!" I turned back around and looked at her. She had tears falling down her face. "John..she's yours." She was telling me something, that in my heart, I already knew. I knew that night we went out to dinner that she was mine. I'd just been waiting for Abby to tell me.  
  
"I know." I smiled at her and walked down the hallway to the trauma room.  
  
"John, I told you to wait outside." Susan snapped at me.  
  
"Susan, I want to know what's wrong with my daughter." There's a sentence I never thought I would say. Susan looked up at me. She was shocked to say the least.  
  
"Abby told you?" I nodded. Susan took a deep breath before she began to talk. "She has a ruptured spleen, a broken hip, a broken leg, and some broken ribs. We have to take her up to the OR." I nodded and left the room as they took Christina upstairs.  
  
I went back to where Abby was waiting.  
  
"Is she okay?" She was searching my eyes for an answer.  
  
"They're taking her up to the OR, she has a ruptured spleen and some broken bones."  
  
"Can I see her?"  
  
"I think you should probably wait, they're on their way up to the OR now." She nodded and sat down. I sat down next to her. She was staring straight ahead, and I noticed how beautiful she still was. She hadn't changed much. Her hair was darker than I remember it. That was about it though. She hadn't aged a bit. I wanted to reach out and touch her. Somehow I refrained.  
  
"Was she in a cab?" She asked, breaking me from my thoughts.  
  
"No, she came in with a boy, his name was Mark Jones."  
  
"Is he okay?" She glanced over at me.  
  
"His injuries aren't as bad as Christina's. He has some broken bones. The car crashed into the passenger side."  
  
"Did someone call his parents?"  
  
"Yeah, they're on their way." We sat in silence for a few moments.  
  
"John..I'm sorry about the way I told you Christina was yours."  
  
"It's okay Ab, I figured it out a few weeks ago anyways."  
  
"When?"  
  
"That night we went out to dinner."  
  
"She figured it out then too."  
  
"She knows about me?" Abby nodded slowly.  
  
" I expected to tell you over dinner or something, not in this hospital. I wanted it to be a special moment."  
  
"I'm just happy to know she's mine." I smiled at her and silence fell among us again.  
  
"I better go call my mom, I'll be right back." I nodded as she walked over to the payphone.  
  
Since when was Abby close to her mother? I had missed out on so much the past sixteen years. I remember when we would talk about her, and she wouldn't even call her mom. She always called her Maggie.  
  
Things had definitely changed over the years, but sometimes change is good. After all, I did get a beautiful daughter, out of all of this.  
  
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When Christina was finished in the OR, she was taken into a recovery room. She was still unconscious, so Abby and I just sat with her in silence, holding her hands. Christina's face was bruised and swollen. Her leg was in a cast. Before, she always looked so strong and independent. Maybe it came from being Abby's daughter. Now, she looked so weak and helpless. It made my heart ache.  
  
"Jason?" I heard Christina choke out. Her eyes slowly opened, and she looked over at her mother.  
  
"Oh baby, Jason's on his way with grandma, grandpa, and Alessandra."  
  
"Who?" I whispered.  
  
"Jason's her boyfriend, and Alessandra is her best friend." I nodded. Christina slowly turned her head a looked at me. She squeezed my hand.  
  
"Hey Carter." Her voice was so quiet. It was barely a whisper.  
  
"How about you call me dad instead." Her face lit up, and I knew I was grinning like a fool too.  
  
"Dad." She smiled up at me.  
  
Susan walked into the room for what seemed like the tenth time tonight. She noticed Christina was awake and walked over to the bed.  
  
"Hey, how's my girl?"  
  
"Never been better." She answered sarcastically.   
  
"Do you need anything?"  
  
"No." Christina looked up and Abby and me. "I've got everything I need right here." Susan smiled at us and left the room, to give us some time alone before Abby's family got here.  
  
"Is Mark okay?"  
  
"Yeah, he had some broken bones, but he's home now." I answered her.  
  
"Who is he?" Abby asked.  
  
"Just a friend from school. We were playing basketball, and he offered to drive me home. Well, he said he'd give me a ride home if I went to the movies with him."  
  
"You mean like a date?" For some reason, I didn't like this boy so much anymore. Maybe it's my paternal instincts kicking in. Disliking guys that ask my daughter out. Sounds fatherly to me.  
  
"No, just a movie as friends." Yeah right, being a guy, I know what goes on in our minds. He doesn't just want to go to a movie with her.  
  
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Nearly an hour later there was a knock at the door. It startled the three of us because we were all half asleep. Abby's mother walked into the room with three people following behind her.  
  
"Oh Christina.." She quickly walked over to the bed and gave Christina a quick kiss on the forehead. "Are you alright sweetheart?"  
  
"Yeah grandma, I'm okay."  
  
"We were so worried about you." The older man, who I'm guessing was Maggie's husband, spoke up.  
  
"It's okay. I'm okay." She smiled at them.  
  
"Are you her doctor?" The teenage boy standing by her bed looked over at me.  
  
"Well.."  
  
"No, he's my dad." She seemed so excited. It made me happier than I ever imagined I could be. I was afraid she would hate me. That she would think I walked out on her.  
  
"What?!" The girl blurted out. She looked embarrassed after she said it, but they all looked pretty shocked. Except for Maggie. She looked sort of pleased.  
  
"Yeah, this is my father. John Carter."  
  
"Nice to meet you Dr. Carter, I'm Jason." The boy stuck his hand out and I shook it. I saw Christina glance at me. Like she was looking for my approval on Jason. I smiled at her.  
  
"John, this is my husband Mike, and this is Ally." Maggie introduced me to the other people standing in the room. We all shook hands and got acquainted.  
  
"Where's uncle Eric and aunt Sandy?" Wow, Eric was married?  
  
"Sandy's out of the country until tomorrow, that's why Eric couldn't come. He had to stay with the kids." He had kids?! This is insane. I'm not even sure if I believe all of it.  
  
"They'll be here on Sunday though." Mike assured her.  
  
"Well we better go get checked in to a motel and let you get some rest."  
  
"Mom, don't do that. You all can stay at the house." There was a time, when Abby would have never offered a place for her mother to stay. When she would have been happy to send her off to a motel for the night.  
  
"Are you sure there's room?"  
  
"Of course." Abby looked over at me. "Carter, can you stay here for a while so I can take everyone to the house and get them settled in." Hey, I'll do anything for you.  
  
"Sure."  
  
"Oh mama, your exhausted, you don't have to come back. I'll be okay by myself tonight."  
  
"No, I'll come back."  
  
"Mom, you worked all day, you need some rest."  
  
"I'll stay with her Abby." I wanted some time alone with Christina. I wanted to get to know her. Abby let out a small sigh.  
  
"Okay, I'll be back first thing in the morning." She gave Christina a kiss on the cheek. "I love you."  
  
"I love you too mom." Abby walked out of the room with her mother and her stepfather.  
  
"Get better Christie." Jason gave her a quick kiss on the lips.  
  
"Take care of Ally, she looks a little shaken up." I heard Christina whisper to the boy, and I looked over at Alessandra, and noticed that she did look a little out of it. Jason nodded and left the room with the girl.  
  
"Is Ally okay?" I asked her.  
  
"Yeah, when things like this happen, she gets freaked out. She's lost a lot of people that were close to her."  
  
"Oh, are Maggie and Mike her parents?"  
  
"Well, they are sort of. They adopted her two years ago when her father died."  
  
"What about her mother?"  
  
"She walked out on them right after Ally was born."  
  
"So how did Maggie and Mike end up adopting her?"  
  
"Well her and Antonio were very close to the family. Especially to mom."  
  
"She was close friends with Antonio?" Why do I feel so jealous all of a sudden?  
  
"Well you could say that..they were engaged." What? Abby was engaged to someone? I shouldn't be upset. She wasn't mine anymore. I lost her when I walked away from her and went to Africa. She had moved on.  
  
"Dad, are you okay?"  
  
"Yeah..yeah I'm fine."  
  
"Do you have any other kids?" Not that I know of.  
  
"No, just you princess." She smiled at me.  
  
"Married?"  
  
"No, I was with someone a couple of years ago..we had been together for about three years but it didn't work out."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"She cheated on me."  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry." I shrugged. I didn't really care that much anymore.  
  
"When did Abby um..patch things up with her mom?" I had to know how things changed, and when it happened. Well, that and I wanted to get my mind off the fact that Abby had been engaged.  
  
"About two years after I was born. Grandma had managed to track mom down, and she found out about me. Grandma was back on her meds, and she was around a lot. She ended up moving to the city, and when aunt Susan came back to Chicago, grandma helped take care of me. They just worked their problems out and moved past it. She married grandpa about ten years ago. Mom really loves him. He's the father she never had."  
  
This was great. Abby finally had the things she'd missed out on, a good mother that cared about her, and a father. She'd gotten the kind of family she deserved.  
  
"What about Eric? How long has he been married?" I remember when Abby went searching for him so many years ago. That was a hard time in her life.  
  
"Well mom and grandma found him twelve years ago. They got him to take his meds and they helped him out a lot. He's been married to Sandy for five years, and they have three kids."  
  
"Wow, I can't believe Eric's married."  
  
"Nobody can. He's really amazing though. He's the one that taught me how to play basketball. He's been at all of my games since I was seven. He's changed so much from what I hear, but only for the better."  
  
"That's really great, Abby used to worry about him constantly."  
  
"Do you still love her?"  
  
"Abby?"  
  
"No, Susan." I had to laugh at that. She was so much like Abby. It was amazing. She was amazing.  
  
"Yes, I love her as much today, as I did sixteen years ago." That's something I hadn't even admitted to myself. For years I tried to tell myself I was over Abby. But there was no getting over her.  
  
"You should tell her." I remember the day Susan said that to me. After we had spent the whole cold, snowy day in that sexual harassment class.  
  
"I'm not looking to get my heart broken."  
  
"Don't leave her again and you won't. She loves you, and don't try to tell me she doesn't. I've heard her talk about you all my life. Not a day went by that she didn't mention you. Don't miss out on this chance dad. Don't let her get away from you again."  
  
I smiled at her, and sat with her for the rest of the night. I thought over everything she had said. Maybe this was a whole new beginning for all of us.  
  
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Well, getting inside Carter's head sure was fun. :-P This chapter was really hard for me to write, so I'm sorry if it wasn't very good. If you still want more after this, leave me some reviews please! :) 


	5. Don't Let Go

Hey everybody! Sorry I haven't updated in a while, things have been crazy. I'm glad you all seem to be enjoying the story though : ) I'm sorry if there's any confusion with the characters, I know I threw a lot of new ones in the last chapter. So here's a list, hopefully it'll help.  
  
Maggie - Well, that's Abby's mom. If you didn't know that already though, you should go back and watch seasons 7-9.  
  
Mike - Maggie's husband; Abby and Eric's stepfather.  
  
Alessandra - Christina's best friend; Antonio's daughter. After Antonio died, Maggie and Mike adopted her.  
  
Antonio - He was engaged to Abby; he's Alessandra's father. He died two years ago.  
  
Jason - Christina's boyfriend.  
  
Eric - He hasn't come into the story yet, but he was mentioned in this chapter. He's Abby's brother; but again if you didn't know that already, you might want to watch seasons 8-9.  
  
Sandy - Eric's wife, she was just mentioned, she'll be in the story later.  
  
I think that's it for the characters I introduced in the last chapter. I hope that cleared any confusion up. Now in some chapters, I'll skip over a couple of days or weeks, because I don't want this story dragging on so much to where it'll get boring.  
  
Disclaimer: If I owned them, season 10 would be a whole lot different than it is right now. I do own the characters I make up though, so at least I get something, right? : ) Oh yeah, I also don't own the song in this chapter either. It's called "Don't Let Go" and it's by En Vogue.  
  
This chapter is from Abby's POV.  
  
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I stood outside the door and watched my daughter, and her father. She was asleep, and he was sleeping in the chair next to the bed. I never imagined this. I never thought my child would one day be in the same room with her father. I know now that telling him was the right thing to do. For once, I didn't mess up. I told him he had a daughter, and it made him happy. That's what I wanted, to make Carter happy, not to disappoint him.  
  
I quietly slipped into the room, but I guess I wasn't quiet enough. Carter stirred a little bit, and then woke up.  
  
"Morning." I whisper, careful not to wake Christina. "I brought you some coffee."  
  
"Thanks." He gratefully accepted the coffee and looks down at our sleeping daughter. "She's amazing.."  
  
"I know." I sit down on the other side of the bed.  
  
"She's exactly like you Abby."  
  
"Unfortunately"  
  
"No, that's why she's amazing." I smile at him, because I know he means it.  
  
"I love her so much already.."  
  
"She loves you too, she always has really. Even when she was younger" He looked at me, and he seemed confused, so I continued. "I wanted her to know about you, even though I didn't tell her you were her father, I still told her about you. I told her stories about you, and she loved them. She always thought you were amazing, and funny too. Her favorite story, was when I broke Luka's fish tank, and I made you break into his place with me." I smiled, remembering that day.  
  
"Ah, yes. The day you almost got us thrown in the slammer."  
  
"I did not."  
  
"I hope being a criminal didn't rub off on our daughter."  
  
"Don't worry, she knows better." We share a laugh, and I realize just how much I've missed him. "We should wait outside, let her rest before everyone else gets here." We walk down to the ER to see what's going on. Hopefully nobody pulls us into a trauma.  
  
"Abby, do you need any money for her or anything? Like..for her college fund?"  
  
"No." I say, sitting down in a chair outside and exam room. He sits next to me, and I continue. "We have enough money. I have enough to send her to college. I've been saving up since before she was born."  
  
"So she has everything she needs?"  
  
"John, all she needs is a father. Just be her father. That's it. We don't need your money, or a place to live. We have all of that." He nodded and we sat in silence for a moment.  
  
"I'm sorry about Antonio."  
  
"How did you know about him?"  
  
"Christina told me last night."  
  
"Oh"  
  
"Were you planning on telling me about him?" Is he serious?  
  
"Why would I tell you about him? It's none of your business. You have no right to ask me about him. You lost that right when you left me."  
  
"I didn't leave you."  
  
"How can you say that? How can you sit here and say that you didn't leave me? I begged you to stay with me John, and I've never begged for anything in my life. You made one promise to me, and that was that you would never leave me. You couldn't even kept that promise. You walked away from me. From our child, from EVERYTHING we had. You just left me, and I didn't even know why. I had every right to get on with my life and fall in love with someone else. That's exactly what I did." I was really angry by now, angry at him for being so stupid and insensitive.  
  
"I had to get away, I needed time to think, and I needed time away from here. Too many things were happening all at once, I felt like I was losing you in the midst of it all. If I'd had known you were pregnant, I wouldn't have left."  
  
"You could have told me that! We could have worked things out. We could have talked. Instead you left me behind, you thought you were losing me and your answer to it all was to leave me. I'm glad I didn't know I was pregnant then, because you would have stayed with me out of pity, and we would have been even more miserable."  
  
"No, because that baby could have saved us. It could have been the solution to all of our problems."  
  
"Well we'll never know now." By now, we're standing and yelling. The whole ER is watching, but it doesn't seem to matter.  
  
"You know, you left me too. I came back and you were gone."  
  
"I had no reason to wait for you, for all I knew we were over. I wasn't going to sit on my ass and wait for you to come back to me." He knew I was right. He had that look in his eyes. He'd been defeated. He pulled me into an exam room so we could finish our argument in private. I was done arguing though. "You know, I loved you so much, and you broke my heart. I let myself trust you, because I thought you were the one." I stopped then, because I knew if I went on, I would end up telling him that even after what happened, I still think love him and I still think he's the one.  
  
"I loved you too."  
  
"Why didn't you tell me that? It could have changed so many things."  
  
"I was afraid you didn't love me."  
  
"I was afraid too." That's when I couldn't hold my tears back anymore. I sobbed, and before I knew it, he was right there. He wrapped his arms around me, and we cried.  
  
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I'm not sure how long we sat in that exam room, sobbing in eachother's arms. All I know was that I felt better. I had said all the things I'd been wanting to say for sixteen long years. It felt good to be in his arms again.  
  
"Abby?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"We should get back to Christina, we've been in here for almost a half hour, you're family's probably here by now." I nodded and untangled myself from his embrace. I began to walk out the door but he gently grabbed me by the arm.  
  
"Abby, I'm sorry about all the pain I caused you."  
  
"I'm sorry too."  
  
"Do you think we can move past it?"  
  
"Yeah, as long as we take it one step at a time." He smiled and pulled me into a hug before we headed back upstairs.  
  
My family hadn't arrived yet, and the only other person in the room when we get there was Susan.  
  
"Ah, great show you two put on this morning." Susan announced as we came into the room.  
  
"Yeah well, you all seemed so bored down there. We thought we'd juice things up a bit." I say sitting down in the chair next to the bed.  
  
"I miss everything!" Christina whines.  
  
"Be glad you weren't there." Susan pipes up.  
  
"Okay you guys, really lets just drop it." I really don't want to talk about this right now. Thankfully, the family walks in the room and saves me from my torment. Eric and Sandy are with them this morning.  
  
"Hey sis." He says, coming over to hug me.  
  
"Hey Eric." I see him scan the room to see who else is in there. His eyes settle on Carter.  
  
"John, long time no see." He says sticking out his hand, which Carter politely shakes.  
  
"How have you been?" Carter asks, making small talk.  
  
"Great, you?"  
  
"Never better." I think that's the end of that conversation.  
  
"Who's that?" Sandy whispers to me.  
  
"John Carter, Christina's father."  
  
"Wow, you picked a good one Ab." I laugh, but I know it's true too.  
  
"How are you, Christie?" I hear Eric ask.  
  
"Well, you know.had a ruptured spleen, broke some bones. I've really never felt better."  
  
"You been playin' ball?"  
  
"That's what got me into this mess."  
  
Everybody sat around, talked, and joked for most of the day. Occasionally Carter, Susan, and I would have to go down to the ER when they needed help. It was nice though when we were all together. It was like, we had John now and that made us a complete family. He was our missing piece.  
  
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Two weeks had passed since the accident, since Carter 'became a father', and since our argument in the middle of the ER. Christina was home. Someone was always staying with her though. It was Susan's day today, since she had the day off. My family was back in New York, which I'm happy about. Don't get me wrong, I love them all, but there were just too many people in Susan's small house. Carter and I...well we were doing good. It's like time had never really passed, and we'd never stopped talking.  
  
"Hey." Carter walked into the lounge where I'd been hiding out for the past fifteen minutes.  
  
"Please don't tell me you need me for a trauma.."  
  
"I just came in here for some coffee." I breath a sigh of relief and hand him a mug. "Tired?"  
  
"Exhausted. This has been the longest shift since I've been back in Chicago."  
  
He sat down next too me. So close that I could smell his cologne. It's so intoxicating, and all I really want to do in this very moment is pull him into my arms and kiss him. I know I've been staring at him because he turns his head and our eyes meet. We stare at eachother for a long time before he leans in towards me. We're inches apart and the moment I've been waiting for, for so many years is about to finally happen. We're so, so close. But of course the annoying sound of his pager goes off.  
  
"I.." He seems so lost for words. "I have to take this." His voice is barely above a whisper. He slowly gets up and walks out of the room. Maybe it's for the better. After all, we did agree to just be friends. We can't go down that road again. Especially not now, we have a child. It's not just about the two of us anymore.  
  
My shift is over, so I leave the hospital. Luckily I didn't run into Carter on the way out.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I lie in bed and try for at least an hour to fall asleep. I can't though. All I can think about is Carter, and what almost happened in the lounge. I look over at the clock and those annoying bright red digits read 11:00. I know he's been home for a good half hour by now. I slip out of the bed and go get dressed. I have to go see him. We have to talk.  
  
I stand outside his door, and I'm afraid to knock. I should just turn around and go home, but something's keeping me here. So I knock. He answers the door, and he's still wearing his scrubs.  
  
"I uh..I have no idea why I'm here." I say, because truthfully, I didn't know why I was there.  
  
"Well, why don't you come inside and we'll try to figure it out?"  
  
**********  
  
What's it gonna be 'cause I can't pretend  
  
Don't you want to be more than friends  
  
Hold me tight and don't let go  
  
Don't let go  
  
You have the right to lose control  
  
Don't let go  
  
**********  
  
"We should talk about what almost happened at the hospital." I say.  
  
"Well, I think it's pretty self explanatory." Nice time to be a smartass, Carter.  
  
**********  
  
I often tell myself that we could be more than just friends  
  
I know you think that if we move too soon it would all end  
  
I live in misery when you're not around  
  
And I won't be satisfied till we're taking those vows  
  
**********  
  
"I wanted it to happen so much it hurt." I was being honest with him, and he seemed a little taken aback by it. He wasn't use to this part of me. The part that told him exactly how I felt.  
  
**********  
  
There'll be some love makin', heart breakin', soul shakin' love  
  
Love makin', heart breakin', soul shakin'.....  
  
**********  
  
"Do you still want it to happen?" I nod.  
  
**********  
  
What's it gonna be 'cause I can't pretend  
  
Don't you want to be more than friends  
  
Hold me tight and don't let go  
  
Don't let go  
  
You have the right to lose control  
  
Don't let go  
  
**********  
  
I can't remember how long we stood there in silence before he had his arms around me, and was finally kissing me.  
  
**********  
  
I often fantasize the stars above oh, a chill  
  
They know my heart to speaks to yours like only lovers do  
  
If I could wear your clothes I'd pretend I was you and lose control  
  
**********  
  
I don't recall walking up the long staircase of the mansion, and going into his bedroom. I didn't take in the surroundings, so I wasn't even sure it was his. The only thing I was concentrating on was us.  
  
**********  
  
There'll be some love makin', heart breakin', soul shakin' love  
  
Love makin', heart breakin', soul shakin'.....  
  
**********  
  
This is one of those moments. The kind that you dream about for so long, and in your dreams they're perfect. It was intense and passionate. It was beautiful.  
  
***********  
  
What's it gonna be 'cuz I can't pretend  
  
Don't you want to be more than friends  
  
Hold me tight and don't let go  
  
Don't let go  
  
You have the right to lose control  
  
Don't let go  
  
***********  
  
I collapsed in his arms, and for the first time in sixteen years, I was content.  
  
***********  
  
Runnin in and outta my life  
  
Has got me so confused  
  
You gotta make the sacrifice  
  
Somebody's gotta choose  
  
We can make it if we try  
  
For the sake of you and I  
  
Together we can make it right  
  
***********  
  
"Abby.." He spoke softly. "I love you, I always have."  
  
"I love you too."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
..and that's the end of this chapter. I hope you all enjoyed it! Like always, if you want more, leave me some reviews please! Thanks : ) 


	6. The Morning After

Hey everybody! Sorry it's been so long since I've updated. Life's been crazy (as always). I'm glad you're all enjoying my fic though.  
  
Author's Notes – Sorry if the last chapter was confusing, I'll try my best not to let that happen anymore. Ha, also someone mentioned in a review that the title of this fic reminds them of those Gap ads from Christmas...well there's a reason for that. When I started this fic, I had the hardest time coming up with a title, and I heard that song on TV, and that's where I got the title.  
  
Thanks to everyone who reviewed!!  
  
This chapter is from Carter's POV.  
  
Disclaimer: They're not mine, they never will be. : (  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I woke up expecting her to be right where she was when I fell asleep. Next to me, wrapped in my arms. She wasn't though. I should've known better. I should have known she wouldn't be there. I looked over at the clock. It was 9:00. Abby was probably home now. I picked up the phone and dialed the number.  
  
"Hello?" Susan answered.  
  
"Hey Susan, is Abby there?"  
  
"No I haven't seen her all morning, I figured she was with you."  
  
"Well if she shows up, tell her to call me." I say hanging up the phone. I get dressed because I have an idea where she might be.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I saw her sitting on the bench next to the river. It used to be our spot. I used to come here a lot when I first came back from Africa and she was gone. Then it just got too painful, and I stopped coming. To be honest, I hadn't been to this spot for almost fifteen years.  
  
"You could've left a note." I said, sitting down next to her.  
  
"What are you doing here?" She didn't turn to look at me. She just stared straight ahead.  
  
"I was looking for you. Why did you leave?"  
  
"I needed time to think"  
  
"About last night?" She nodded.  
  
"Carter I...I think last night was a mistake."  
  
"What? Abby, you...you told me you wanted it to happen. You told me you loved me." I saw a tear fall down her face. I reached up to wipe it away, but she pushed my hand away.  
  
"I do love you Carter, but it's just...too complicated. When we were together before, we hurt eachother so much. Now we have a daughter to think about."  
  
"She's a big girl, if for some reason things didn't work out, she could handle it. Abby two people who love eachother should be together."  
  
She shook her head. "Not when those two people are us. We just...we bring so much pain to eachother."  
  
"Abby that was before. When Gamma had died, and when you were dealing with Eric and Maggie. So many things have changed since then. We've changed. We can be together without all of those obstacles in our way."  
  
"It's not that easy John! We can't just rush back into this. I can't let you break my heart again. I can't watch you walk out on me again."  
  
"I won't Abby! I'm not going anywhere."  
  
"Like I haven't heard that before. Remember the first time you told me that? When I was dealing with Eric, you told me that I could count on you, that you weren't going anywhere. Then you left."  
  
"Abby..."  
  
"No...we can't be together. That's just the way it has to be."  
  
"I sure wish you would have told me this before I slept with you, and told you I loved you. I put my heart on the line for you lastnight because I thought you wanted the same things I did. I thought you wanted to be with me, and I thought you wanted for you, me, and Christina to all be a family. I thought you had changed. I thought you stopped being so afraid to let me in."  
  
"I'm not afraid to let you in! I'm just trying to protect myself, and my daughter from getting hurt."  
  
"Fine. If this is the way you want things to be then we won't be together, but I'll be damned if you bring my daughter into my life, just to take her away from me."  
  
I got up and walked away. There wasn't anything left to say, so there was no point in staying there.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
It had been almost a week since Abby and I had our talk by the river. We didn't speak much, except when we were at work, or when I came over to pick up Christina so we could spend some time together.  
  
I knocked on the door to the house they shared with Susan. The door flew open and Christina stood in the doorway. "Hey dad." She moved out of the way and let me in. I looked around for Abby.  
  
"She's at work"  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Mom"  
  
I nodded. "So, what do want to do today?" I asked, trying to change the subject.  
  
"It's really nice out, lets go for a walk."  
  
We walked out of the house and into the cool, spring air. "So dad, what's going on with you and mom? Why are you two acting so strange?"  
  
Wow, I thought the mom's were suppose to get all the tough questions. Where do I start? "Well...it's a long story."  
  
"We've got time." She's not backing down.  
  
"Look, you're 16, you're mature, so I'm just going to be straight forward with you."  
  
"Good, it'd be nice to hear the truth."  
  
"Abby and I slept together about a week ago, and she told me she loved me, but the next morning she told me that we couldn't be together."  
  
"Why did she tell you that the two of you, couldn't be together?"  
  
"Well I guess what it all comes down to, is she's afraid of getting hurt again."  
  
"Ugh, why does she have to do this? Why can't she just be happy and in love?"  
  
I shrugged. "I wish I knew."  
  
"I wish you could see how much she's changed since she left here." We ended up walking to the river. She sat down on the bench that Abby and I had argued on, nearly a week ago. Her brown hair blew in the wind, and I noticed just how much she looked like her mother. Aside from a few traits she'd gotten from me, she was a spitting image of Abby. I sat down next to her. She looked over at me and continued talking. "She quit drinking and smoking the minute she found out she was pregnant with me. She hasn't picked up a drink or a cigarette since. She's more open about her feelings too. Except when it comes to you."  
  
"She's the person I always knew she could be."  
  
"After Antonio died, grandma and aunt Susan were afraid mom would start drinking again." She laughed a little. "Everytime she had a drink in her hand, someone would always ask her what it was. She got really annoyed, but you know, she stayed strong. She was sad for a long, long time, but she didn't let it get her down. She sort of shocked everyone with that."  
  
I guess I hadn't realized just how much Abby had changed. When she told me we couldn't be together, I just thought it was almost...typical of her. It never occurred to me that she was just trying to protect herself. She's obviously been through a lot the past sixteen years.  
  
"Dad, I think that you should try to talk to her again. It's been a week, she's had time to think about everything that happened."  
  
"I don't know...I think maybe I should give her some more time."  
  
Christina sighed. "I'm sorry, I think I'm being selfish. It's just I've always wanted a family. I mean, sure I grew up with all these great people, but I wanted a real family. Complete with two parents, who don't have two separate lives."  
  
"Christie, that's not selfish. I want to be able to give you that family. I know what it's like to grow up and not really have both of your parents around."  
  
"I just want you to know, that I'll be alright if you and mom can't work things out. Every kid dreams of the perfect family, but sometimes that's all it is; a dream. If things don't work out, I'll understand. At least I'll still have two parents, you know? Even if were not a family."  
  
I pulled my daughter into my arms and kissed her on top of her head. She was amazing. I don't know how I got to be so lucky. Even if Abby and I don't work out, I'll always have a part of us. 


End file.
